This is Trump’s Complete Speech When Recognizing Jerusalem’s Capital of Israel

US President Donald Trump has given official recognition that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Trump also explained that the removal of the US Embassy will soon proceed.

Trump’s historic speech was delivered at the White House, Washington DC, on Wednesday (6/12) noon US time, or Thursday (7/12) early morning Indonesia time. Trump was accompanied by US Vice President Mike Pence while delivering this speech.

As quoted from the White House official website, on Thursday (7/12/2017), Trump’s speech is focused on the matter of official recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is also about the plan to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The removal of the US Embassy, ​​called Trump, was the implementation of the Jerusalem Embassy Act agreed by the US Congress in 1995. He called previous US presidents failing to implement the law.

Trump also affirmed that this recognition of Jerusalem does not mean aborting US commitment to peace efforts for Israel and the Palestinians. He said the United States remains committed to realizing a two-state solution, provided it is agreed by Israel as well as Palestine.

Furthermore, Trump calls this recognition of Jerusalem a new approach in the face of an endless Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Here is Trump’s complete statement about the confession of Jerusalem as quoted from the official website of the White House:

thanks. When I took office, I promised to see the world’s challenges with open eyes and very fresh thinking. We can not solve our problems by making the same failing assumptions and repeating the same past strategies that have failed. All challenges require new approaches.

My announcement today marks the beginning of a new approach to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

In 1995, the Congress adopted the Jerusalem Embassy Act which prompted the federal government to relocate the American Embassy to Jerusalem to recognize that the city, very importantly, was the capital of Israel. This law passed Congress with a vast majority bipartisan vote. And confirmed by the unanimous vote of the Senate just six months ago.

However, for more than 20 years, every American President has previously enacted a waiver law, refusing to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem or to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Presidents published this waiver in the belief that delaying the recognition of Jerusalem would advance the issue of peace. Some people call them less brave but they give their best judgment based on the facts they understand at the time. However, everything is recorded. After more than two decades of waiver publishing, we are not even closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. It would be folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula will now produce different or better results.

Therefore, I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

While previous presidents have made this a big campaign promise, they failed to make it happen. Today, I made it happen.

I have considered this series of actions to be in the best interests of the United States and peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians. This is an expected step long enough to advance the peace process. And to pursue lasting deals.

Israel is a sovereign country with rights, just like every other sovereign state, to determine its own capital. Recognizing this as a fact is a necessary condition for achieving peace.

About 70 years ago, the United States under President Truman recognized the state of Israel. Since then, Israel has set its capital in the city of Jerusalem – the capital that the ancient Jewish people founded. Today, Jerusalem is the site of a modern Israeli government. The city is home to the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, as well as the Israeli Supreme Court. The city became the official residence of the prime minister and president. The city became the headquarters of many government ministries.

For decades, US Presidents, Foreign Ministers and visiting military leaders met their Israeli partners in Jerusalem, just as I did during my visit to Israel earlier this year.

Jerusalem is not only a center of three major religions, but now also the center of one of the most successful democracies in the world. Over the past seven decades, the people of Israel have built a country where Jews, Muslims and Christians and people of all faiths are free to live and worship according to their conscience and according to their beliefs.

Jerusalem is today, and must remain, a place where Jews pray at the Wailing Wall, where Christians walk the way of the cross, and where Muslims worship at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

However, for years, the presidents representing the United States refused to formally recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. In fact, we refuse to recognize the capital of Israel at all.

But today, we finally admit the obvious: that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. It is no more and no less, it is a recognition of reality. It’s also the right thing to do. This is the thing to do.

That is why, consistent with the Jerusalem Embassy Act, I also directed the Department of Foreign Affairs to begin the preparation of moving the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This means immediately starting the process of hiring architects, technicians and planners so that the new embassy, ​​when completed, will be an extraordinary offering to peace.

In this announcement, I also want to clarify one point: This decision is not intended, in any way, to demonstrate the withdrawal of our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace agreement. We want a deal that is a good deal for Israel and a good deal for the Palestinians. We do not take positions for the final status on issues including Israel’s specific sovereign borders in Jerusalem or the contested border resolution. Those questions become the affairs of the parties involved.

The United States remains committed deeply to help facilitate the peace agreement received by both parties. I intend to do anything in my ability to help forge such an agreement. Without question, Jerusalem is one of the most sensitive issues in the negotiations. The United States will support a two-state solution if agreed upon by both parties.

For now, I call on all parties to maintain the status quo in the holy sites of Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount, also known as Haram al-Sharif.

Above all, our greatest hope is peace, the universal will in every human soul. With today’s decision, I reaffirm my long-standing commitment to the peace and security of the region in the future.

There will be, of course, disagreements and disagreements regarding this announcement. But we believe that in the main, with us facing this disagreement, we will arrive at peace and a much better place in understanding and cooperation.

This sacred city should be able to show the best in humanity. Lift our view to what is possible, not pull back and down on the old quarrel that has become quite predictable. Peace is never beyond the grasp of those who want to achieve it.

So today, we are calling for calm, restrainedness, tolerant voices to win over spreading hatred. Our children should inherit our love, not ours.

I affirmed the message I delivered during an extraordinary and historic meeting in Saudi Arabia earlier this year: The Middle East is a region rich in culture, spirit and history. His people are brilliant, full of pride and variety, passionate and powerful. But the extraordinary future that awaits this region, stifled by bloodshed, ignorance and terror.

Vice President Pence will visit the region in the coming days to reaffirm our commitment to work there with partners across the Middle East to defeat the radicalism that threatens the hopes and dreams of future generations.

This is the time for many people who want peace to drive extremists out of their midst. It is time for all civilized nations, and their people, to respond to disagreements with a reasonable argument – not violence.

And this is the time for young and moderate people to speak all over the Middle East to realize their own bright and beautiful future.

So today, let us rededicate ourselves to a path of mutual understanding and respect. Let’s rethink the old assumptions and open our hearts and minds to what is possible and every possibility. And finally, I ask regional leaders – political and religious; the people of Israel and Palestine; Jews and Christians and Muslims – to join us in the noble quest for lasting peace.